Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing honor the Maddox family at the Chicago Street Race

Bodie Maddox wandered about the pit wearing a black baseball hat and a blue Folds of Honor shirt. He was mesmerized by the assortment of race cars. He has loved cars since he could crawl. But as he walked toward a specific car, the moment had greater significance.

Bodie and his mother, Alex Maddox, finally laid their eyes on the blue, white and red No. 99 Chevrolet car Daniel Suarez will drive to pay tribute to the Maddox family, who lost the patriarch, Chase Maddox, in February 2018 when he was killed on duty at 26 years old.

For the 2024 Chicago Street Race, Folds of Honor — a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to the children and spouses of first responders who died while on duty — teamed up with Jockey International and Trackhouse Racing to honor Chase and his family.

Chase was a police officer in Locust Grove, Georgia, which is about 35 miles southeast of Atlanta. Before becoming a police officer, Maddox spent six years in the Army Reserve.

The Maddoxes are big NASCAR fans. Their surname is on the side of the car, and the family created the artwork on the deck lid. Bodie and Alex traveled from Locust Grove for the Chicago Street Race.

“It just feels good that we’re six years later, and Chase is just as relevant and bringing smiles to people’s faces,” Alex said.

After Maddox was killed, Alex left her job at Delta Airlines. She knew she wanted to help other widows and give encouragement, let them know they could continue living. Even as she wrestled with the sudden loss of her husband, she persevered.

Almost 2œ years after her husband died, Alex’s eldest son, Bradin, passed away from a rare congenital brain abnormality in October 2020.

The family lives by a mantra Chase instilled in them: The good will always outweigh the bad.

“I learned a lifetime’s worth of knowledge from that man [Chase],” Alex said. “It proves that there are good things, and they are abundant, and we’re so incredibly blessed.”

After getting a chance to talk to the family, Suarez doesn’t take the gesture lightly as he races this weekend.

“It’s very personal, not just for me but also for Jockey and an entire family,” Suarez said. “To be able to be here and to represent everything that they’ve been able to do for countries is pretty special. I feel very fortunate.”

Alex said Chase “lit up like a Christmas tree” when they attended a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The two were married at that same speedway, and she said being at the Chicago Street Race was a full-circle moment for her.

Alex learned the sport by watching with her grandfather growing up. The two would watch the races every Sunday.

Chase had a similar affinity for racing because his grandfather — Bodie is named after him — had racing experience. The family’s connection to NASCAR runs deep, which makes this weekend even more special.

“It shows the impact that Chase had in his short 26 years here,” Alex said. “If he were here and he were to see his name on a race car at the Chicago Street Race, it would just absolutely blow his mind.”

The most prominent example of Chase’s legacy is Bodie. As Bodie prepared to meet Suarez, he had what appeared to be a pack of gum and told the driver to grab a piece. As Suarez reached to pull out a stick, his finger got caught in the finger trap.

Like his father, Bodie is a jokester.

“That was a perfect example of Chase living on because Chase would do anything to make anybody smile,” Alex said. “For Bodie to get a front-row seat, it’s just a core memory that I know we’re going to cherish and carry. This is a story we’re going to be telling for years.”